Dutch interior magazine 'VT Wonen' is my all time favorite .... I spend this afternoon playing with images and looking through the magazines and writing a little note to you.

Here are some of the things I liked most of 2010
Today part one, the first six issues... I hope you enjoy!

Traditionally January started with pictures of the 'VT Wonen' stand at the Dutch annual exhibition for indoor and outdoor living 2009, see my post about the whole white house they built for it here. I also loved the item about knitting and I still would like to have that cumulus chair from Diesel.

February had, among others, the subtitle flower patterns and folklore... not my favorite subjects but it turned out to be a very inspirational edition for me.... I really enjoyed the 'your space' of this month, that showed the house of Natasja and Paul. Paul made many of their furniture himself and I love their style. The handmade table and bench in his kitchen can also be found in a friends house... who just moved into her new apartment...

Stylist Judith went over to bring some coziness and warmth in the new apartment.... I got really inspired by the elements she added to the house and it even made me decide I desperately needed that IKEA rug myself, with the little white cabinets I had already.

March showed a lot of houses from different countries in the 'Your space' section... another monthly section in 2010 was 'Studio Styling'. This month all about how to combine Basics with white industrial elements to get a strong and adventurous look.

April...After visiting the annual exibition 'Maison et Object' in Paris, the stylists of VT Wonen made a top 7 must see list for the magazine... Included was also my favorite Parisian Shop MERCI ... see my last post about the shop here

Two great kitchen in May.... the dark one is designed bij Lucia King from 'Op 16'. A kitchen store in the heart of Amsterdam and one of my favorite shops to buy white ceramics for my own kitchen. The light one has a great microcement counter top in perfect grey.

No doubt my favorite 'Your Space' house tour in this issue... the Danish house of TineK , but also the kid friendly house with great wallpaper and room to play I loved to read. Loving signs and letters around the house... I loved this wall too.

A note to you

This last blogging year has been my best so far... I really enjoyed writing and reading your posts. Met so many inspirational and talented people with or without a blog of their own. Overwhelmed by the people who think my little stories are interesting enough to subscribe as a follower... we hit the 3000+ mark this week. Thank you! And the great response I get from you, your comments and personal notes really mean a lot to me.
Wherever you are ... I wish you a great new years 'eve' and a happy and healthy new year. Thank you so much for being here and I hope to see you again next year!

Desiree xxx

All pictures used are (c) VT Wonen magazine
except the first one (c) Vosges Paris.

Coffee and concrete sounds like the perfect combination to me... Lavazza is one of my favorite brands and I loved to see this Lavazza espresso maker. A conceptual version and a study project from Shmuel Linskm student at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Israel.

I can think of some people, like me, who would love to create a kitchen with some industrial features. Personally I like concrete in combination with some white. It somehow makes it look fresher and softer.You might have spot the white clean lamps in front of the concrete wall in my living. It are three identical lamps that I tight together. I have had some emails on where to buy them, they are from Dutch Basic Store HEMA

If you would like the chance to win a free year's subscription to UK magazine LivinEtc then scroll down to the end of the post to find out how to participate

Some of the original walls in my home are concrete walls. They are thick and I had them covered in wall paper for years. I always loved this different, industrial feeling concrete walls give to a home but just recently discovered I had theme my self. So here is the finished wall in the Living. I don't know yet how I will use it but for now I transformed it into a Christmas wall.

After my post with alternative trees last week, I thought I should actually really make one myself this year. I cut a two meter high tree out of corrugated cardboardand painted the back with white wall paint. Attached it to the concrete with some duck tape and decorated it with black and silver stars.

Lucas & Hayley are Keep Calm Gallery's founding duo and designed The Oh Deer reindeer print. I attached it on a big white canvas and stuck 60 little Christmas lights through the canvas. Below you can see how it looks when they are all switched on at night, ain't it cute ;) The Oh Deer print is also available in other colors! And there are many others to chose from. Visit the shop .... here

Today some images from my hallway.... After I bought a new couch I had to change the living a bit and this little table ended up in the hall... I love to make little corners on it, with candles and frames. And display new books and magazines... Latest book one on here is 'How they work' that I recently got for my birthday.

When walking through the hall I see the IKEA alphabet poster a lot of times and it inspired me to make my own Christmas poster. If you like it, you can download it here.... be sure to show us a picture of how you use it at home
.The long small hallway I decorated with just a few lights and black stars from Sissy Boy and some black wooden birds, bought last year at IKEA. Thats my Christmas house for this winter.. black & white, little stars, some graphics and prints and of course lots of dreamy Christmas lights..... oh and an alternative Christmas tree...

PS Read also Emma's post about being inspired by IKEA - From where did you get you Christmas ideas this year?

Mikkili is a new webshop selling Scandinavian, Dutch and other design. The minute I saw these black cast iron candlesticks by Normann Copenhagen I was in love with them. They really look great in front of that little wall (Yes I finally finished painting and scrubbing the concrete) in the living room. They give a little industrial touch to it, that I like a lot.

As I was thinking about a black and white theme for Christmas I thought they would really fit in, don't you think.... I got three candlesticks and the plate, but there are many more, to make your own combination... have a look at the black on black ones to! -Black candlesticks with black candles -

Amsterdam today is beautiful covered in snow and it keeps falling.... A perfect day to stay at home and try out new things. A new color on your wall or, as at my place a new concrete wall need some different decoration. For today it is just trying out some deco for Christmas. Cutting big trees out of paper, painting, drinking lots of tea out of my new TineK tea pot and opening boxes with Christmas decoration...

I have always been inspired by black and white, pictures, graphics, black candlesticks with white candles and I am in love with these little checkered fabric stars for the Christmas tree. Lets hope for a white Christmas.. it will be one at my place.. with a little black this year.

Een bijzonder stand waar de dekbedden uit de wasmachines hingen en de woonaccessoires in een kast gemaakt van twee trappen stonden. De naam zegt het al, bij 'Heel Wit'is alles wit!! Eigenaresse Mirjam Boon heeft een webwinkel vol witte artikelen, variërend van linnengoed in natuurlijke materialen tot prachtig wit poederig porselein met aan de binnenkant een mooi geglazuurd zilver laagje.Wit... as in White... I love that special feeling when you wake up and it is snowing... the air seems all fresh and clean the light is so beautiful clear. A good day to show you some pictures of a Dutch Company called 'Heel Wit' (Very white)
I came across on the last Annual exhibition for indoor and outdoor living in Amsterdam.Heel Wit showed their collection in a laundry where the duvet covers were presented hanging out of the washing machines and the accessories in a closet made of two stairs. White stairs of course says Mirjam Boon, owner of web shop Heel Wit where she sells a collection of white products, from natural linens to porcelain. Have a look at the shop there is also an English version and Heel Wit ships world wide!

vosgesparis is an interior design blog where minimalism and Scandinavian simplicity meets industrial and black. It is the place where I show my projects, news from the design world and ideas on decorating with minimal colour and maximum style read more

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